THE LIFE OF DANIEL

Week 1/3: LIVING BOLDLY WHEN FACING ADVERSITY

JUDGES 03/04: JEPHTHAH: THE BAD

Today we are going to look at the tragic story of a judge who made a twisted pact with tragic
consequences. His name was Jephthah and he was a highly-skilled soldier who was selected to help Israel
defeat the Ammonites. He was a man of fury; he was a man of ferocity; and he was a man of distorted
beliefs. Jephthah incorrectly thought that he could buy God's favor. His perspective was shaped by a
worldview that believed in wishy-washy gods with big tempers. That is far from the truth, though. God's
favor is free and unmerited. We can learn two valuable lessons from this reckless judge.

Preparing for Your Talk:

• We want the stories within Judges to be the ultimate illustration. It’s tremendous story-telling, so we don’t
need to go looking for more illustrations. Really focus on telling the stories in a way that captures
attention.
• Print the small Group discussion guide (or text it to leaders).
Sources & Suggested Study Materials
• NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible by Zondervan.
• The Expositor’s Bible Commentary by Frank E. Gaebelein, John H. Sailhamer, and Walter C. Kaiser Jr.

BIG IDEA: SMALL GROUP OBJECTIVE: SCRIPTURE USED:

God’s favor is a free gift with no We will closely look at ways our Judges 11:30-31
strings attached. culture tries to corrupt our faith Ephesians 2:8
and perspective.

@youthministryfreebies forministryresources.com
TEACHING OUTLINE:

TEACHING OUTLINE

— SETTING UP THIS TALK —

• Today we are going to look at the tragic story of a judge who made a twisted
pact with tragic consequences.
• His name was Jephthah and he was a highly-skilled soldier who was
selected to help Israel defeat the Ammonites.
• He was a man of fury; he was a man of ferocity; and he was a man of
distorted beliefs.

• We encounter Jephthah in Judges chapter eleven. After another vicious sin

cycle, the Israelites found themselves surrounded by the Ammonites.
• In a frenzy, God's people sought out Jephthah. He was renowned as their
most skilled soldier with audacious courage in the face of adversity.
• On paper, he was the perfect judge. Strong, intelligent, clever, and well-
spoken.
• There was only one problem: he was not very close to God.
• As a matter of fact, He didn't know much about the true God at all.
• His religious confusion is evident when we see his story unfold.

• When the Ammonites threatened the Israelites, Jephthah tried diplomacy rst.
• Being a gifted communicator, he wrote up a treaty for the king of the
Ammonites (Judges 11:12-20).
• The king rejected his plea and declared war (Judges 11:27).
• Thus, Israel found itself ghting another senseless battle against a stacked
army.
• Jephthah proved to be an astounding military leader.
• He courageously marched into the battle of a lifetime.
• While the enemy soldiers pressed forward, spears ew past his head, and
the victory seemed impossible.
• Israel realized they were overwhelmed and understa ed. In the heat of
pending defeat, Jephthah swore something stupid.

@youthministryfreebies forministryresources.com
fi
fl
ff
fi
 TEACHING OUTLINE:

BIBLE STUDY:
Judges 11:30-31
"And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD: 'If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever
comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites
will be the LORD's, and I will sacri ce it as a burnt o ering.”

Contextualizing this Passage:

• Jephthah vowed to sacri ce a member of his household if they won the war.
• He explained, "I will sacri ce whoever steps out of my house when I arrive
home" (Judges 11:30-31).
• After the dust settled, Israel's ag ew above the rubble. They had won the
war!
• While cheers echoed through the nation, Jephthah recalled his morbid
promise to God.
• Slightly horri ed, he headed home.
• In a twisted turn of events, his daughter was the rst to greet him to
congratulate her dad on his victory (Judges 11:34-35).
• Biblical scholars disagree as to whether or not he actually killed his
daughter.
• Some teachers suggest that she was simply forbidden from
marriage, which was a common practice of sacri ce at that time.
• Others, the seeming majority, think that he actually went through
with it and murdered his child.
• Regardless, Jephthah's vow cost him big time. We can learn two valuable
lessons from this reckless judge.

APPLICATION
• Don't Let Culture Corrupt Your Faith
• Why would Jephthah make that vile vow in the rst place? Well, human
sacri ce was central to the ancient religions of his time.
• It was practiced by the Ammonites, Canaanites, and Philistines. However, it
was directly forbidden by the God of Israel (Deuteronomy 18:10).
• Human sacri ce pleased pagan gods. The bigger the sacri ce, the bigger
the payo . Thus, a human sacri ce was believed to create the most
miraculous outcomes.

@youthministryfreebies forministryresources.com
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
TEACHING OUTLINE:

• Jephthah let culture corrupt his faith. He clearly didn't understand the
true God of love, grace, and mercy.
• Because, if he did, he would never have made such a vow.
• He talked to God as if He was a false god who would appreciate
something as vile as human sacri ce.
• While we are shocked at the kind of corruption that would make someone do
this, our culture does it too.
• We just make di erent sacri ces.
• Culture idolizes wealth which leads people to sacri ce their families on the
altar of success.
• Society advertises the fun of pleasure which makes people sacri ce their
health on the altar of feeling good.
• Unfortunately, we can even sacri ce our faith on the altar of the world's
expectations.
• Our culture calls us to water down our message, avoid our true purpose,
and approach scripture through the lens of modern sentiment.
• It's tragic. Ask God to help you purify your faith amid a culture that
strives to corrupt it.
• I wish Jephthah knew what we know, because he would see that his
cultural view of God was awed. Why? Because God’s favor is free. This
brings us to our last point.

• God's Favor Isn't Earned

• Jephthah incorrectly thought that he could buy God's favor.
• His perspective was shaped by a worldview that believed in wishy-washy
gods with big tempers.
• That is far from the truth, though.
• God's favor is free and unmerited. There is nothing we have to do to
earn it or deserve it. God just gives it out because He is a good God.
• You are his child and He is a good Father.
• Misguided people think this way all the time.
• "If I pray harder, maybe God will bless me bigger."
• "If I fast for weeks, maybe God will give me what I want."
• "If I promise to stop cheating, God will turn my D into an A."

@youthministryfreebies forministryresources.com
ff
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
 TEACHING OUTLINE:

• "If I tithe, maybe I will win the lottery."

• This version of faith is awed. Why?
• You don't need to earn God's favor. God is not manipulated by sacri ce,
o erings, or vows.
• God is pleased by faith and faith alone.
• I really wish that Jephthah would have wrestled with his
vow. If he had sought Godly council, he could have stopped
the downward spiral in judges.
• Jephthah would have told them that the true God is full of
mercy and grace.
• There was no need to negotiate with Him or try to coax Him
into blessing His people.

• Landing: The book of Judges is only a sliver of God's story. A thousand years
later, the Apostle Paul demonstrates pure faith and free favor.
• Ephesians 2:8 teaches, "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith."
• That's all God expects of us — faith.
• There is nothing else we need to do to receive His favor.
• Faith in God gives us the favor of God.
• God’s favor is a free gift with no strings attached. That's the glory of the
gospel.

— Break for Small Groups —

Handout on the next page.

@youthministryfreebies forministryresources.com
ff
fl
fi
TALK IT OUT
Go through these questions with your circle. Be honest. Be open. Talk through the tough stu .

Ice Breaker: Go around your circle and share this week’s highs and lows. What was the
best part of your week and what was the lowest part of your week?

Q1: What is your reaction to Jephthah’s vow during battle? Why do you think he did
this when it’s explicitly forbidden by scripture?

Q2: What are some ways that culture tries to corrupt our faith?

Q3: What are some ways that people try to earn the favor of God? Why is that
problematic?

Q4: Read Ephesians 2:8. What can this teach us about the true nature of our faith?

Application: Look for any places in your life where your faith has been corrupted or
you’re trying to earn God’s favor. Ask God to help you grow closer to him by re ning
your faith.

READ THESE PASSAGES IN ORDER EVERY DAY

2 Peter 3:10-13
2 Timothy 1:6-10
Ephesians 4:20-24
Exodus 3:2-6
Exodus 12:11-13
Exodus 19:4-6
Psalm 93:1-5

Do the following with each passage:

ASK– God to connect with you here. In prayer, start by slowing down and inviting God to be present.
Begin with focus and openness to see what God has for you today.
READ– the selected section of Scripture slowly. Take note of the words and phrases that intrigue you,
reading them a second time if necessary.
REFLECT– on what grabs you. How does this passage personally relate to your own life and
experiences?
RESPOND– to the Scripture. Speak directly to God about what’s on your mind and heart. Look for ways
to live out what you’ve uncovered.

@youthministryfreebies forministryresources.com
ff
fi